Maxwell Graham Strange

Maxwell Graham Strange, beloved husband, father, and "Pop-pop", passed away at his home in Fulton, Md. on Thursday night, September 26, 2024. He was 92. He lived a full life surrounded by family, and pursuing his lifelong passions for photography, audio recording, electronics design, and ancestry research.

Maxwell was born in Greenfield, Mass. on October 29, 1931, the only child of Charles Maxwell Strange and Laila Inez Strange. He grew up in Greenfield, graduating from Greenfield High School in 1949. He went on to study Electrical Engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, graduating in 1955. After graduation, he took a job at RCA in New Jersey and later Pennsylvania, designing audio circuits and power tubes. In 1956, he was drafted into the Army, going into basic training for 8 weeks at Fort Knox, then joining the Signal Corps. There, he eventually joined Project Vanguard, which produced the first satellites launched by the United States in 1958.

In 1959, Max moved to Washington, D.C., to work at the newly-formed NASA Goddard Space Flight Center where he designed the electronics for various instruments that flew on satellites, airplanes, and the space shuttle. Many of his co-workers became lifelong friends. He retired from NASA in 1991.

Starting from a young age, Max became an avid photographer, developing a particular love for landscapes and portraits. He processed his own black-and-white film and prints, influenced by the precise work of Ansel Adams. In later years, he became highly proficient at Photoshop, revitalizing original film images of his own, and restoring images of his ancestors and relatives. This melded well with his passion for ancestry research, an interest he developed in more recent years, reconnecting with living relatives and tracing his family back to the Mayflower and beyond.

Also from a young age, Max developed a strong interest in audio engineering. He had tinkered with record players and radios as a child, then worked with early tape recorders in the Signal Corps. He enjoyed building his own amplifiers and noise reduction circuits, one of which won an award from Audio magazine. He painstakingly cleaned up and digitized a large portion of his extensive Bing Crosby record collection, sharing CDs with family and friends.

Max lived at the home he built in Fulton for nearly 60 years, spanning many life phases including raising two sons with his first wife, Ingrid, redesigning the home for a new life with his wife Shirley, and incorporating countless updates, new structures, and his own custom electronic conveniences on the property. There was always a project needing attention, a lawn to be mowed, a tree to be trimmed, or a piece of electronics to be designed, repaired, or wired up. Maintaining the house and large property was a passion that he pursued through his final days.

He and his wife Shirley enjoyed many quiet mornings in their sun room, reading the paper and doing crossword puzzles. The grandchildren visited frequently for dinners, with burgers on the grill, Chinese takeout, or pasta with fancy homemade garlic bread. "Pop-pop" entertained them with tractor rides, electronics projects, and model building, which they remember fondly. Dad/Max/"Pop-pop" will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Maxwell is survived by Shirley, his wife of over 30 years; Ingrid, his first wife of 25 years, and their older son, Stephen (Heidi Melander) Strange of California; his beloved adult stepchildren, Jeff (Cathy) Comegys and Valerie (Steve) Hicks of Maryland; and his adored grandchildren, Meghan, Katie, Wesley, and Ryan.

He is predeceased by his parents, his younger son Christopher, five cousins, four aunts, and three uncles.

In lieu of flowers, donations to your favorite STEM education fund is appreciated.

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